Blurry Lines
by babyviolets
Summary: In a span of 6 months, Lee Ji Eun will have to live someone else's life. She'll have a new family, new friends, and if that wasn't difficult enough, she'll have to fall in love with a complete stranger...or was he? A 10-part slice-of-life series surrounding the making of the drama You're the Best Lee Soon Shin, with an added element.
1. The First Meeting

"Whoa Unni, look at his cheekbones!"

"I know! Hmmm…wonder what skin care product he uses?"

Lee Ji Eun and Yoo In Na were inside one of KBS's conference rooms for a meeting with the director of the drama that they soon will be working together, and are currently focusing their attention on the person who just walked in with his manager.

Jo Jung Suk was wearing a plain white T-shirt and blue jeans, his face half hidden with a blue baseball cap. He took the seat just across hers before looking up to catch their curious stares. Shyly, he gave them a nod before turning his attention to the director who was already all over him. Both girls looked away and stifled a laugh at their foolishness.

"God, that was embarrassing!" In na mumbled

"Tell me about it!" she replied as she allowed her eyes to roam on the other side of the room. Song Tae Young came in at that moment, and one of the guys stood up to greet her. Judging by their interaction, both have probably known each other before. "Which one's Go Joo Won? "

"The one with the blue shirt."

"Omo, he's really tall Unni!"

"I know, probably as tall as Hyun Woo…" Inna's voice trailed off upon mention her own boyfriend.

Ji Eun nudge In Na's arm and In Na returned the gesture with a wistful smile. She knew In Na had second thoughts in taking this role for fear that it might cause problems between her and Ji Hyun Woo, especially considering how fragile their relationship is lately. In the end—and to her delight—In Na decided to take the project with her.

She gave the man sitting across her another glance. Perhaps he's not that tall but he's not really short either. _Plus, he looks younger!_ She felt her heart well up with pride at the thought.

He looked over his right as his manager mentioned something funny to the director and laughed along with them. She was able to catch a glimpse of how his eyes wrinkle at the corners when he did, although this didn't make him look older, just genuinely amused.

His laughter, there was something awfully familiar about it.

"Oh IU-ssi, I believe this is the first time you two met each other, right?"

"Ah…ne, it is." The director's sudden acknowledgement of her caught her off-guard that it made her stand up hastily from her seat. He then prompted Jung Suk to stand up too and both motioned towards her.

"Well IU-ssi, meet your leading man. Jo Jung Suk-ssi, our nation's little sister."

"Annyoung. I'm Lee Ji Eun but I go by the name IU. This will be my first time in a lead role so please take care of me." She finished her introduction with a bow.

"I'm Jo Jung Suk, and this is also my first time doing a lead role for a drama. Rest assured, I will do my best."

He held out his hand to offer a handshake and she took them, quite surprised at the strength of his grip.

"Aissshhhh…what's with all the formalities?! You two better get comfortable around each other fast as I'll need both of you to shoot a lot of scenes together, arasso?"

He shifted his footing before saying anything "Then, can I call you by your first name?"

Ji Eun raised her head a little, though she still was not comfortable enough to look him in the eye. "Sure…if you're okay with me calling you oppa."

He bit his lips and her heart involuntarily skipped a beat. "Why not, Jieuna?"

_Jieuna._

"Omo, I did say I wanted you two to get along fast, but what a leap you two made there!" Yoon Sung-shik exclaimed with a hearty laugh.

"Ah…mian, Ji Eun-ssi." Jo Jung Suk abruptly apologized, putting an emphasis on the honorific.

"Ani, it's okay…I'm fine with Jieuna." Every single moment that passed only made her more aware of the flush that is slowly creeping its way to her cheeks. She looked back down to hide it, only to realize how both their hands were still clasped together into a handshake. It took another moment before he hastily released her hand from his grip, and turned around to go back to his seat, just as the director called everyone else's attention.

* * *

"Lee Ji Eun, don't tell me you're attracted to that guy?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, if you had to ask, you were stealing glances at him the entire time and your red ears don't lie!"

She instinctively covered her ears with her hair at In Na's words. She didn't have to ask her which guy she was referring to because there was only one guy that had consumed all her attention during the meeting earlier. "It's not what you think…"

This was partly true. Her interest in Jo Jung Suk was more of a curiosity than an attraction, although she would have to admit that she did find him oddly attractive. There was something about him that stood out from the rest of the guys she knew—a manliness that only comes with age—but at the same time, there was also something about him that was vaguely familiar to her. It's this vague familiarity that made her curious about him.

Then again, maybe her own feelings of excitement for the drama has somewhat clouded her mind, because there was no way he could be familiar to her. She has not met him before and only heard mention of his name from his girl friends that were apparently fans of his, but she was just too focused on her own affairs to randomly look up people she did not know. After she heard about their team up, she purposely did not look into his past projects for fear that it might affect her interpretation of their characters. This may have not been the best approach, but she has always been more comfortable with doing things her way than simply following the majority.

Now that she has met him though, she was so ridden with curiosity that she has started cursing herself for not looking him up earlier. Maybe if she had done her research, he wouldn't be such a mystery to her now.

"Well, he doesn't seem to look like your type…"

"What do you mean by 'my type'?"

"You tend to fall for those with a bad boy image. No, don't try to deny it." In Na snapped when she tried to mouth a denial. "I know you don't really want to talk about these things, but it's not like I only knew you yesterday. Of course, that doesn't mean that I approve of those guys. I would rather you be with someone more sensible and mature."

"Well, he seemed sensible and mature" she did not even know what drove her to say those words. She only knew she suddenly felt indignant.

Luckily for her, In Na took it as a joke. "Yes, go ahead and be a smart mouth. I'm just saying that he maybe mature and all, but he is also someone mature enough to consider marriage, and he will probably be looking for someone around his age for that and not someone 13 years younger. That is, if he hasn't found one yet." She stopped on her tracks to face her. "I just don't want you getting hurt again."

Ji Eun bit her lip before letting out a resigned sigh. "I know Unni. Don't worry, I'll be more careful this time."

In Na gave her one final look, before she pats her gently on the arm. "We're going this way. Call me later once you're home, okay?"

"Ne Unni."

"Stop thinking about him already." In Na added before finally turning towards the left part of the carpark.

Ji Eun watched Yoo In Na disappear into the corner before she too proceeded to the right-wing of the parking lot, and despite In Na's advice, she found her mind wandering back to Jo Jung Suk.

_Jieuna _

Something about the way he said her name really did seem oddly familiar, but she couldn't point out what it was. It occupied her mind all throughout the meeting and yet, she does not seem to be closer to the answer.

"Ahh, annyeonghaseyo." She was too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice the person a few metres away from them until Park Jung Hyun acknowledged him. She looked up to find Jo Jung Suk slowly approaching them. "You're alone." She said out loud before she even remembered to bow.

He raised his left hand to show his car keys. "I drove here on my own." He paused to take his cap off and ruffle his hair with his hand. It was then that she finally caught a full view of his face, and finally it dawned on her why he seemed so familiar.

She felt her manager's quizzical look upon her before he turned to Jo Jung Suk "Ah mian," Park Jung Hyun stuttered in an attempt to clear up the awkward silence between them "…IU-ssi is a bit nervous about this project. Please bear with us and guide her in the future." He nudged her for a response, and she would have given one had she not been paralysed by her realization and the memories that suddenly came rushing back.

Jo Jung Suk turned his gaze at her "Oh, don't worry about that. I'm sure you'll do a good job, Jieuna." He pressed his lips to suppress a smile and slightly moved forward to give her two taps on the shoulders before he nodded and continued on his way.

He was well beyond earshot when Park Jung Hyun turned to her and asked. "IU-ssi, is something wrong? Why are you red as a beet?"

"I…" she started to explain but no words came out. The memories were clearer now, more orderly. It felt like water spilling forth from a broken dam when the recognition first came to her, but now she's able to feel the warmth of it and she found herself smiling.

_Good Job, Jieuna._

_Chincha, Jo Songsangnim?_

She started to laugh at her own stupidity. No wonder he seemed so familiar. His voice, his presence—the way he said her name. There was no mistaking it.

He was her guitar tutor.


	2. Old habits

He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk as he pored over the script that he held in place with his left hand. His eyebrows furrowed deep in the center and his mouth would twitch every now and then. A couple of times, Jo Songsaenim—Jung Suk Oppa—would reach out for the bottled water in front of him, and after drinking from it, he'd lick his lower lip.

It amused Ji Eun to see the habits in the music tutor she knew back then still present in the actor sitting beside her now. On the other hand, it also embarrassed her to think that she didn't recognize him sooner once she realized how obvious it really was, and she would then blame her lack of perception on his hat and her own stubbornness every time the thought entered her mind. Yes, there were some changes. He was bigger, his actions more subdued, his voice a little deeper, but he still had the same restless hands, the same serious expression. The same smile.

The more she looked at him, the more her memories of him came back and took shape inside her mind—like an old home video put on loop. Her nostalgia would take her as far as ten years ago, when her mom announced that she got her a guitar tutor over dinner one night although her father was violently opposed to the idea at first.

_"Are you sure about this? You're letting a grown man into our house and close to our daughter!" _

_"Oh, don't be ridiculous! What can a twenty-four year old man want from an eleven-year-old girl? Besides, I've met him and he was very nice."_

That was how her mom shrugged off his concern, although that didn't stop her dad from sitting in during their sessions. It took Jo Seonsangnim a few more weeks before her dad finally warmed up to him and felt comfortable enough to leave them to study alone, which didn't really make much of a difference since he would then come in every now and then to talk to Jo Seonsangnim about old records and bands.

Now, she had always been the apple of her dad's eye, so she found herself growing more and more impatient every time Jo Seonsangnim and her dad talked about things she is not familiar with. She started to listen to old records too just so she can join in on their conversation and would stay up all night to practice the guitar just so she can speed up her lessons, thinking that once she was good enough, there will no longer be any need for Jo Seonsangnim to come and teach her. However, every time she haughtily played a song she mastered, he would just praise her with that dimpled smile of his and give her more homework. So at eleven, she decided to hate all guys with dimples.

She snickered at the memory. Of course, her hatred for him didn't last long. _After all, who would stay mad at that face? _She thought as she took another glance at his direction. As if on cue, the corners of his lips curled up into a faint smile—just enough to show his dimple—and she felt a sudden tingling sensation at the sight. She tried to will the feeling away with a cough and turned her attention back to her own script. She's been feeling a bit high-strung lately, but that really doesn't come as much of a shock considering the nuance this whole experience is to her. Although she had been in a drama before, she was not the lead and most of the cast were around her age. This would be her first time taking the lead role, working with many senior actors, and portraying a serious love line with a lot of skinship involved. She shook the thought away as the tingling sensation returned.

* * *

A round of applause echoed within the conference room, marking the end of their first script reading session, and soon everyone was up on their feet, some hastening to leave for their next schedule, while others taking turns to go to the director and writer for some discussion.

"Have you talked to him yet?" In Na moved in closer to her as she responded by shaking her head.

She had told In Na about her past connection with Jo Jung Suk and In Na advised her—after her initial frivolous overreaction—to come up to him and reintroduce herself to prevent any miscommunication. Still, even if she did not think Jung Suk Oppa would actually take it against her if she didn't remember him, she is very eager to tell him about it. In fact, she's been making up scenarios in her mind about how their reunion would go—ranging from comical to outrageous. Somehow, the idea of a reunion is making her both nervous and excited.

"Okay, I will have to leave first, but try to separate him from this crowd and tell him today. Just don't let anyone else know about this. You know how stuff like this could be taken the wrong way by some people." In Na gave her a light peck on the cheeks before making her way towards the director.

Ji Eun turned around to see Jung Suk talking to the older Lee Ji Hoon, and shuffled towards him as soon as she heard them say their goodbyes. "Oppa…"

"Ah Jieuna, great job today!" he exclaimed as he turned his attention to her, at the same time, giving her two pats on the shoulder.

"I…uhh" Despite the number of scenarios she's planned in her head, she could not find the right words to say now. "Can I…"

"Soon Shin-ah, Shin Daepyonim! Great script reading wasn't it?" she turned to see the director motion towards them, and as soon as he did, she knew that her opportunity to talk to Jung Suk Oppa alone was lost.

* * *

Ji Eun stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She managed to excuse herself from the crowd shortly after Jung Suk Oppa left the room and yet, she can't seem to catch up with him.

She looked around her but, apart from a few cars, found nothing. Somehow, she ended up in the parking lot, right to where she met him before. It had been around ten minutes since she left the conference room and ran after him, or so she thought, believing that she saw a glimpse of him at every corner where she made a turn. But now that she was standing alone in the middle of a dank parking lot, she realized that all she did was run aimlessly.

She stood up straight and allowed her hands to fall to her side. She knew she didn't have to rush this. She had exactly six months to make their reunion happen. Yet, she also knew how much she needed for this to happen soon, how much she needed to know that he's as excited about this as she was because if he wasn't, she won't know how to explain her own emotions. She also knew that if she waited any longer, she might lose the courage she had now and will settle to hiding their past from him. She laughed at herself for being so dramatic over their situation when she has always been so level-headed about everything. Maybe it's because of their connected past or her character in the drama that's making her this way. Right now, only one thing is for sure, all her uncertainties relate to him, and if she can only get an answer from him, she would definitely be relieved. Problem is she is not quite sure what the question is. If it was merely a reunion she was after, she shouldn't be this nervous, right?

She heard a car honking behind her and moved aside to allow the car to pass through, but then it stopped beside her. She turned to see Jung Suk Oppa come out from the driver's side.

"What are you doing here alone?" he asked as he frantically looked around, his hand naturally resting on her shoulder. The worry she saw painted across his face somehow gave the opposite effect on her, and her own worries started to ebb away. "Oppa, do you know me?"

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Of course, I know you."

"That's not what I meant. I mean, do you remember me?"

"I was just with you moments ago; my memory isn't that bad yet."

He had such an amused expression on his face which did nothing to soothe her already befuddled emotions. "Jo Seonsangnim!" She blurted out without meaning to.

For a moment, his expression was blank. Then he started to inch his way closer and closer…

…and flicked her forehead with his finger.

"Ow!" she exclaimed as she rubbed the part where he just flicked her.

"Ya! That took you long enough. I was starting to think you're a lot older than you claim to be with that memory of yours!"

This made her stop what she was doing, and she slowly looked up to his stern expression. But then his frown gradually turned into a wide open grin. "Why didn't you say anything to me earlier?"

He started with a shrug. "I don't know. I wasn't sure if you recognized me or if you wanted me to acknowledge our connection, so I waited for your decision. I guess I just didn't want to do anything that would otherwise make you feel uncomfortable. "

"So if I didn't say anything, would you have kept it a secret until the end?"

He paused for a moment before nodding his head. Then he reached out to tuck some loose strands behind her ear—something he's always done before, although she did not recall the move to be so unnerving. "But I'm glad you did." He said and gave her another smile.

She studied his face a bit more before she returned his smile. She was glad she did too.


	3. Building Chemistry

"This is an activity to help build good working chemistry. For one hour, find a secluded spot and run through the guide questions as per attached with your partner." Ji Eun read the note given to them out loud while Jo Jung Suk leaned in to read over her shoulder. They were currently in one of the private mountain resorts way up in Gangwon Do for their team building activity. After the initial team building exercise, they were asked to break up into smaller groups, and now, they were alone on the rooftop terrace with their legs hanging between the railing bars. Below the resort grounds, she could see Yoo In Na and Go Joo-Won sitting across each other on one of the picnic tables, while Lee Ji-Hoon and Ga Won were on one of the bench swings at the garden on the other side of the field.

Jo Jung Suk reached out and grabbed the second piece of paper from her before she could even react. "Number 1, Birthday. Hmm…yours is on May, right?"

"Yes and your birthday is on December."

"That's right, so our zodiac signs should be Taurus and Capricorn."

"Should I look up the personality match?" Ji Eun said while picking up her phone. She went ahead and typed their zodiac signs on the search box "Ha! Get this Oppa, the Capricorn-born are extremely dedicated to their goals, almost to the point of stubbornness. This is so like you!" She exclaimed while lightly hitting Jung Suk's shoulders.

"Wait, who are you calling stubborn? You've always been the stubborn one. Remember that one time when you followed me to rehearsals?"

"Why is that being stubborn? I only did it because you wouldn't let me see the actual performance!"

"That's because you were still twelve and that was a rated show!"

"Well, you were the one who always said I talk a lot older than my age."

"Mind you, being a smart-mouth doesn't really qualify you as being of age." He jeered and reached out to give her a light flick on her forehead.

"Ya! Stop doing that!" She yelled as she rubbed her forehead to feign injury and for a moment, he looked stricken with worry, but then her own smile betrayed. Jo Jung Suk let out a loud huff before looking back at the small piece of paper in his hand.

She was surprised by how comfortable it was to be with him, as if there was no age gap, nor lost time between them at all. She had imagined it would take a bit more time for them to warm up to each other and go back to how they were before, but here they were, bickering and hitting each other, just like how they used to back then.

_Maybe knowing each other before helped_. She thought. Still, would that have made their situation more awkward since she used to be his hakseng and now, they are set to portray lovers?

She turned to look at him as he ran over the list of guide questions, pausing after each question to provide the answer. There was a slight blush on his cheeks as well as some chapping on his lips that was probably from the cold mountain air. _Maybe it is because it's him? After all, he's always had the ability to calm her, among other things. _Ji Eun felt her own blood rush up to her cheeks at the thought.

"How did you know that?" Ji Eun finally butted in after he mentioned both their blood type.

"Why this information is easily available on your fancafe."

The comment was passive, yet it got her full attention. "Y-you checked my fancafe?" She tried to pass off the question coolly, but then her voice croaked.

At this, he stopped playing with the crease at the corner of the paper he was holding. After a while, he turned to her "Of course," he started "I mean I couldn't just assume that you were the same girl I knew a few years back. I thought it could help me get to know the adult Lee Ji Eun better."

His answer made perfect sense. Yet she felt herself shiver at his response, which did not make sense to her. "What's the next one on the list?" She asked in an attempt to divert her attention from her own confounding emotions.

"Favourite colour. Yours is yellow, right?"

"You found that out from my fancafe too?"

"Ani, from your room."

"But…" she said as she tried to recall her old room. " …my room back then was pink."

"Yes, but almost all your personal things—things I was sure you bought on your own—were in shades of yellow."

Another slight shiver ran through her and she started to rub her arms to generate some heat, at the same time to distract her from her own thoughts.

"Are you cold?" Jung Suk asked as he motioned to take off his jacket.

"Aniyo Oppa, I'm fine." She said as she tried to wave him off, but he was already on his feet to put the jacket over her. The additional layer of clothing instantly warmed her up, and she caught traces of his scent as the wind went past her. It smelled of mint and the forest, and of rain. "But Oppa, you'll get cold."

"Gwenchana yo." He said as he squat back right beside her. He breathed on his hands a couple of times, and then tucked them inside the sleeves of his sweater.

"Shouldn't we just head back inside?" She offered when she noticed that the grounds were already empty. It was not snowing but there was still a chill brought about by the mountain air. The rest of the cast members probably felt it, and sought a warmer setting for their team building activity.

"Maybe, but it would be such a waste to not take advantage of this view."

She looked up to follow his gaze and was met with a dazzling number of stars sprawled across the night sky, like glitter dust spilled over what seemed to be an endless black fabric hanging over their heads. He's right, it's not every day one gets to see a view like this. Most of the time, people are blinded by the flashing city lights of Seoul to even bother to look past it.

"Do you want to make a wish?"

His question bolted her back from her own musing and a smile found its way on her face. "Aren't you a bit too old to believe in those things?"

"And aren't you a bit too young to be so cynical? Don't you believe in anything at all?"

"Hmm…"she said as she contemplated on her answer." I believe in fate."

He turned to her, looking startled. "Really? You didn't strike me as the romantic type."

"Waeyo, don't you believe in it?"

Looking away, he rubbed his arms and breathed on his palms again before he answered. "More than fate, I believe human action is more important. It is our decisions that shape us and our future. Regardless of how much effort fate puts to bring two people together, if those two remain indecisive, it will still amount to nothing. This follows in every other aspect in our lives. In the end, it will all depend on us."

He turned his gaze to her and as soon as their eyes met, she felt that familiar tingling sensation once again. "Why are you suddenly acting so mature?" she muttered as she turned her gaze away from him. "Maybe I should go back to calling you Songsaenim."

"As long as you don't call me Ahjussi."

This once again made her smile, and when she looked up to him, she saw him smiling back. For a moment, that was all they did, and it felt completely natural. Just then, another gust of wind went past them and they scampered to keep themselves warm.

"Ah Oppa!" she exclaimed as she clutched his jacket tighter. "I know your favourite colour too. It's blue, isn't it?"

He raised one eyebrow at her in amusement. "How did you know that?"

"Well, I remember you always, always have something blue on you. May it be a shirt, a wallet, a bag, or…"she paused and pointed out to the jacket over her"…a jacket!"

He let out such a contagious laugh that it was difficult not to join him. They went through the rest of the questions on the list, teasing and playfully hitting each other. When they ran out of questions, they started reminiscing about their past together.

She was vaguely aware that they have already exceeded the time required for their activity, although by how much she was not quite sure, and despite feeling apologetic every time he reacted to the chill, she couldn't help but push to extend their time together a bit more, and more.

Another five minutes more.

"What are you guys doing freezing yourselves out here in the cold? You should come in and warm yourselves by the fire. I'm going to lock up to prevent the heat from escaping."

They both turned around to see the innkeeper fumbling with the keys behind them.

"Ah ne, are the rest of our group in the common room as well?" Jung Suk Oppa asked him as both of them started to get up.

"They were there earlier, but they probably went to their separate rooms since it's already a quarter past one."

_A quarter past one? That means they have been there for more than two hours. _Ji Eun sneaked in a guilty look towards Jung Suk Oppa as both scurried behind the innkeeper while he turned the lock on the balcony door.

"I guess you should head back to your room now, we still have a lot of activities lined up for tomorrow." Jung Suk Oppa gave her a tap on the shoulder before turning around to head towards the men's dorm. She too took a turn towards her own room when she felt something hard from the jacket bump against her thigh. She searched the jacket's pockets and found his handphone. "Oppa!" She called out to him just as he was about to turn at the corner, and waved his handphone for him to see.

"Thanks" He said as he took the phone from her.

"What about your jacket?"

"Gwenchana. You can keep that for now."

She started to say something, but in the end decided against it. Somehow, she felt like anything she say now would only cut their time short. She looked at him through her lashes, and was surprised to see him shuffling in place as well. It was funny how they are suddenly acting so awkward now, when they were comfortably laughing and teasing each other just moments ago, but she didn't know how to amend the situation. She only knew that she did not want to be the first to say goodbye.

"Well, I guess I better go." He said and as soon as he did, her heart sank.

"Umm. Yeah, me too."

"Wait—"

She was about to turn around when she heard him, and almost instantly she looked up to meet his hesitant gaze. "I was thinking maybe I should get your number. I mean, I might need it to discuss things with you. About our characters."

She had to bite her lips to prevent herself from grinning ear to ear. "Sure, Oppa!"

* * *

"Where have you been?" In Na Unni hissed at her as soon as she was back into their room.

"Oppa and I were on the rooftop doing the chemistry-building activity, and we lost track of the time." She whispered back. Bae Green and Ga Won were already asleep on their respective beds so both of them are trying to keep their conversation as low as possible.

In Na Unni shifted to the edge of her bed. "Lee Ji Eun, what were you doing with him at this hour? Did you forget what I told you before?"

Ji Eun gulped. In Na Unni had told her before to be more in control of her own emotions, and she had meant to do that. However, she is starting to find it very difficult to do so whenever Jo Jung Suk is concerned. "I know Unni, but we were really just talking. You know we haven't had time to catch up before." She said, hoping that would somehow convince her Unni, because it sure didn't convince her.

In Na gave her another inquisitive look before settling back on her bed. "Turn off the lights once you're done." She said as she put the eye mask over her eyes.

Ji Eun tiptoed her way into the bathroom with her toiletries and a change of clothes, and once again tiptoed back to her own bed once she was done with her nightly rituals. She turned off the lights as instructed, and slowly settled herself in her own bed to avoid waking anyone.

However, she couldn't sleep even when she tried. Her mind kept on wandering back to her conversation with Jung Suk Oppa, and she sometimes find herself having to suppress a giggle whenever images of him reciting her favourite bands popped in her mind, or when she's reminded of his worried expression when she acted hurt by his light forehead flick. When she remembered how he licked his lips while looking at the stars, she felt her heart skipped a beat.

She reached out for her phone to distract herself, and realized her phone was still on the page for the results of their zodiac match. Against her better judgment, she clicked on one of the results, and felt her heart start racing while the page was loading, not sure if it was out of guilt or nervousness. Maybe it was both. She felt like she was doing something she shouldn't be doing, and that's where the guilt comes from. At the same time though, she felt nervous about the results of their match, even though that really shouldn't matter. After all, they'd be portraying characters that are different from them, with presumably different birthdays, so their own zodiac match shouldn't make a difference.

Yet, she was still nervous.

The page finished loading and she read the results while holding her breath. Apparently, they were a good match, although this only caused her further alarm, once she realized how ecstatic she felt with the results. Could it be because she still had some lingering feelings for him as her teacher? She remembered how she used to harbor a slight crush on him back then, but that was understandable since she was still young and he was in a position of authority over her. Now though, their situation is different and she should already be mature enough not to get too emotional over a simple admiration. She definitely should not allow her emotions take over her logic like this. _Andwae!_

She was about to put the phone down when it vibrated in her hand. An unknown number was calling her. She hesitated for a while before her curiosity got the better of her and took the call. "Yeoboseyo?"

"Hello?" One word and she immediately recognized Jung Suk Oppa's voice on the other line. Only then did she realize that she wasn't able to ask for his number earlier in her excitement.

"Op—"she started to exclaim, then remembered she wasn't alone. Quickly she shuffled out of her bed and into the bathroom as quietly as she could. "Oppa." She whispered over the phone as soon as she closed the bathroom door behind her.

"Why are you still up? You should be sleeping."

"If you wanted me to sleep, you shouldn't be calling." she retorted back as she felt a smile start to spread across her face.

"I uh…" the voice on the other line faltered for a moment. " I just realized I didn't say goodnight."

"Oh."

"Well, uhh, goodnight then."

She bit her lip to suppress her own giddiness. "Goodnight."

"Sweet Dreams." He added before ending the call.

She sank on the floor while clutching her phone with both hands, and laid there for a while, not doing anything but simply feeling her own heartbeat that seemed to be resonating all over her being, while his voice was ringing in her mind. _There is no use denying it. _She thought as she recalled all the conflicting emotions she felt since she saw him again. How can she try to reign in her emotions when it has already betrayed her by this much? All this time, she thought she had already outgrown him and moved on, but there's no doubt about how she's feeling right now. She still liked him.

Boy, was she in so much trouble.


	4. Growing Pains

"Where were you? Jo Songsaenim has been waiting in your room for already half an hour." called out her mum as soon as she was inside the living room.

"Sorry, club duties ran a little late." She replied curtly without turning around as she sprinted down the hall to her bedroom. She swung the bedroom door open and was about to grovel for an apology when the sight of her teacher fast asleep in the lounge chair forced her to stop at her tracks.

Slowly, carefully, she put her bag down, and inched her way towards him. He looked exhausted, and he probably was, considering the number of odd jobs he had to take on top of his theatre obligations just to make ends meet. However, she never gave it a second thought before, as he always seemed so enthusiastic during their sessions.

She hovered over him to get a closer look. His eyebrows were thick yet well-defined, and she lightly grazed it with her fingers to see how different it feels from her own.

Her gaze dropped lower until it reached his mouth, which was slightly parted, and suddenly felt her heartbeat start to race. Her mind involuntarily went back to the conversation she had with her club members just earlier in the afternoon. Mi Jin, one of their seniors, revealed that she was dating a high school student, and went on and on about how his kisses tasted like fireworks and lollipop—something Ji Eun was skeptical about, mainly because she doubted Mi Jin actually knew how fireworks tasted like. She stifled a laugh as she imagined Mi Jin sticking out her tongue to burning sparklers.

She tried to question Mi Jin's claims, but everyone just laughed it off. After all, who would believe an inexperienced freshman in middle school against a senior who claimed to have a high school boyfriend?

_Well_ She thought as her gaze fluttered back to his moist lips. She can try it now and prove—at least to herself—that they were wrong.

She bit her lower lip nervously as she hovered even closer to him. She was so close that she could feel his warm breath on her own lips. If she goes through with it, this will be her first kiss. However, she was never the sentimental type, and even if she were, having him as her first doesn't sound that bad. She closed her eyes and gathered up her courage for the last time.

* * *

The sudden lurch of the van brought Ji Eun back to the present and she looked around to find them parked at the base of their shooting site for the day. Beside her, her stylist has already started gathering the props to move out of the van while Jung Hyun Oppa got out the passenger seat to help her with the heavier stuff.

Once again, the memory of her first kiss entered her mind and again, she dismissed it. She is not even sure why it keeps popping up in her thoughts lately. Maybe it was all that talk about kisses during the presscon that reminded her of it. All she knows is that the feel of his lips, along with the exhilaration she felt from it, and the flushed sensation she gets at the memory now seemed to have taken a permanent residence in her thoughts and dreams since then.

Still, it won't do her any good to linger on those thoughts, as it will only make it more difficult for her to let go. Besides, it's not like it can be counted as a real kiss. Technically, it was the first time she felt someone else's lips on hers, but don't kisses normally require the involvement of the other person? _If he had woken up then…_

She blinked and, for a moment, was surprised at her own thoughts. If he had woken up then, he would've probably scolded her senseless for acting out a stupid curiosity on him. She shook her head vigorously, as if doing so would shake the thought away, but all it did was garner her strange glances from her staff who were walking alongside her. Shyly, she gave them an apologetic smile and treaded on.

The wind was cool and crisp, a clear attribute to the early spring, and as she started climbing to their shooting site, she allowed herself to revel in the abundance of life around her. Everything looks so vibrant, so green. Now that the snow has completely cleared, there's a sense of freshness you get with the forest backdrop around her that makes you feel relaxed and yet, invigorated. _Maybe it's the smell. _She thought as she closed her eyes and took one deep breath of the mountain spring air. It smelled of energy and warmth.

It smelled of him.

She scowled at her own analogy, and rolled her lip in an attempt to relieve herself of the stress. However, the slight tingling sensation she's started to associate with Jo Jung Suk remained, and as much as it still unnerved her whenever it happens, she's no longer so surprised by it, especially considering today would be the first time they'd be meeting each other since the press conference. She thought she could finally be able to let go of her crush after how he indirectly referred to her as a child with his 'daddy's smile' comment. In fact, she had decided to do the exact thing last night—and the night before—but here she was, caving in from her decision before she even saw him.

"Ahh, IU-ssi!" Han Je Ni, their ever-hyperactive PA, called out to her as soon as she reached the clearing and started to scamper towards her while marking something on her clipboard. "We're sorry for having to change the filming location at such short notice. It turns out that temperatures will drop for the next couple of days so Yoon Gamdoknim thought it would be best to finish all outdoor shoots first. Anyway, you did receive the script for episode 9 two days ago, right? We will be filming act 2 scenes 15 to 17 here. The entire place is secured for the morning so it should give us enough time to complete filming without any wayward trekkers disturbing us. Oh, here's Gamdoknim, he'll brief you with what to do."

The production assistant was talking too fast that all she could do was nod in response. After giving her the run-over, the PA shuffled towards the first AD, who were walking his way towards Ji Eun with the director, and gave him another fast but very thorough status update of the shooting site. Ji Eun heard her managers snicker behind her, and although she tried to hold it in, she found herself smiling too at the young PA's enthusiasm.

"IU-ssi!" the director greeted her with his usual warm smile as soon as their party caught up with her. "Have you thought about how you wanted this scene to be done? I was thinking to start it with a long shot, then jump to a medium close-up as soon as Jung Suk-ssi falls over you, but let's see first if that won't be too difficult to capture. Then I'll have two close-ups for each of your angles to capture your expressions. Overall, I'm counting 4 takes, not including the NGs, okay? Oh good, your daddy's here. You guys can start discussing how to go about the gag after I brief him, okay?"

_Daddy?_ The director's words puzzled her, as well as the snickers it got from the crew around her. It was only when she turned around to find Jo Jung Suk walking towards them that she realized the joke. The silent laughter went on while the director gave Jung Suk the briefing, who seemed to be oblivious to the crew's teasing glances at both of them.

"So…uhh, Daddy, we'll leave you to discuss the scene with your lovely partner. Arasso?" The assistant director piped in right after the director finished his briefing, earning him a glare from the Yoon Gamdoknim. He raised both his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Sorry, that's the last time, I swear. It was just too good a joke to pass up!"

"Arasso but stop doing that. You'll embarrass Daddy."

Everyone around them burst out laughing—including their own managers—as they walked away from the pair. She shot Jung Hyun a pleading look but he only shrugged at her in return, as he made his way beside her stylist. Now, despite the flurry of activity around them, she felt like they were the only two people in the clearing. She gave him a glance through her lashes, and was slightly satisfied to see that they have at least managed to befuddle him with their jokes.

"So, how do you want to do this? Do you want us to run the lines first, or should we practice on that body gag?" says Jung Suk as he waved the rolled up script he was holding, although his red ears showed that he too was affected with the crews antics just a while ago.

"Uhh…Let's practice the gag first. That one needs more timing." She said meekly, trying to focus her attention on what is needed to be done.

"Okay, let's go and find some place to practice." He said before turning towards the mountain trail, with her following timidly behind him.

* * *

The more they went up the trail, the farther the sound from the busy crew seemed to be, until all she could hear were their own footsteps. She suddenly became excessively aware of the silence between them, and turned around to see that the previous clearing was already cut off from view. She was truly alone with him.

She felt her heartbeat rising steadily despite the objections of her mind. This would be their first time alone since their MT last month, but while she had been silently wishing for this kind of opportunity for the past few weeks, now that it's here, she's more anxious than happy about it.

_Daddy's smile._

When he said it during the presscon, it sounded funny. Besides, she was too overwhelmed by his continuous flattery that his last statement didn't sink in until much later. However, the more she thought about it, the more disheartened she became. For one thing, she's already having a hard time dealing with her growing feelings for him. To find out that the concern and attention he showed her all this time was just him patronizing her felt like a huge slap in the face.

He stopped in his tracks, and for a moment, she thought he sensed her growing anxiety. It turns out that they have just reached leveled ground in the trail. "Are you okay with practicing here?"

She looked around. The clearing here was much smaller and probably only serves as a short stopover for mountain trekkers. Rope railings line up along one side of the pathway to serve as guideposts for trekkers. She walked past Jo Jung Suk and stood between him and the railings. "Sure."

He grabbed the rope behind her and shook them to check that they were secure. " Once I fall over you, just fall back into these ropes. It should be able to carry your weight without a problem. I'll try to grab the rails too, that way I won't be crushing you." He looked around a bit more before continuing. " Your distance between the ropes should be just right for it to be able to support your back once you fall. Let's try measuring that first."

He motioned closer to her and reached for the ropes behind her. "You can hold on to me if you're afraid of losing your balance." He said as he slowly leaned over her, and her hands automatically reached out for him. Slowly, she leaned back further while clutching his windbreaker as he leaned in closer to her until she could feel the rope against her back.

"Are you comfortable like this?" His voice was soft and low, and overall hypnotic. He was hovering close to her, yet very careful not to touch her. Still, she could feel the warmth of his body despite the distance between them. Once again, the tingling sensation returned and started to take over her senses. "Huh?" she breathed a response—or a question—she's not quite sure. His proximity is intoxicating her.

"I mean, are you comfortable with the rope on your back, or should we adjust our position?" He said, a bit more firmly this time.

His words bolted her back to reality, while crushing her heart at the same time, as once again he proved just how unaffected he was by her. "Uhh, ne…this is okay." She felt like how she sounded, frail and resigned.

_Will it always be like this? _She thought. After all this time, she imagined rejection would come easy to her. Yet it still feels as heartbreaking as before, if not even more. She cursed herself for being so vulnerable as she tried to break away from him, but her awkward angle made it impossible to do so and she ended up losing her footing.

He was quick to notice her slip up and immediately let go of the rope railings to pull her in while she too instinctively tightened her hold around his waist. Suddenly, she found herself trapped inside his tight embrace. When they have been barely touching before, now their bodies were tightly pressed against each other that she swore he could feel the pounding of her own heart against his own.

"Jieuna, gwenchana?" he asked between ragged breaths.

"I—"

She turned to answer him, but as she did, felt his lips graze her jaw just below her ear to the corner of her lips, shooting waves of current all over her already highly sensitized state. She froze. Both of them froze. They were tangled in a very compromising position, and the tingling sensation she felt before grew and spread throughout her being like wildfire. It felt like it too. It burned at every point her body comes in contact with his. All he needed to do was to close in on the kiss, and all her self-restraint would dissolve like melting ice, which was ironic because now, she felt like she was the one burning. It wasn't even so hard to do, he only need to turn his head a little bit more—just a quarter of an inch more.

Instead, he pulled her upright and slowly eased her away from him, and just like that, she was left to tend to the fire that was tearing up her heart.

"Bianhe." he said after putting a considerable distance between them.

Was he sorry for the kiss or for letting her go? She's not quite sure. The kiss happened only for a fraction of a second and it was barely even on the lips, so it shouldn't matter. But she felt it because she knew how his lips felt like. It mattered because it was from him.

"Waeyo?" She turned away to avoid his gaze, because she's not sure if any of the acting classes she took will help her hide the pain of rejection obviously etched on her face at that moment.

"I should have thought of a way to rehearse that in a safer way. I almost got you hurt."

_So that was it._ She couldn't help but laugh at herself for being so pathetic. Here she was overthinking everything about him, while he continued to be oblivious about everything. How can this guy be such a good actor while being so indifferent to her emotions, or was it that he just chose to ignore them? Was she really that laughable in his eyes?

"Aniyo Oppa, you didn't hurt me." _At least, not in the way you thought you did._

"Still—"

"Oppa, will you stop treating me like a child?!" The words came out before she could stop them, and only when she heard the words said out loud did she realize just how affected she was with the whole thing. She thought she could deal with it; she had prepared herself to deal with the consequences of unrequited love, but to not even be considered a woman? It was too much. While she goes through great, lengthy discussions over him , he was merely acting as her guardian, checking to see if she arrived home safely or not, if she had eaten—if she was tired. All this time, the smile that always made her heart flutter was coming from a guy who still saw her as nothing more but a child.

Her words surprised him too, and for a moment, he just stood there looking at her. "I never—I mean, when I said..."He started to say but in the end remained silent.

She looked at his bewildered expression and can't help but feel guilty over it. It wasn't his fault that he didn't feel the same way she did. Yes, she hated it. Hated that everything they shared meant nothing to him when it became her world. Yet, she couldn't hate him. It was not his fault. The fault was all hers. "Bian Oppa, I didn't mean it that way."

Both of them fell silent, and that silence was the most deafening sound she ever heard. She wanted to run away, afraid that anything else she was going to say beyond this point would only expose her further, but despite everything, she's finding it hard to even move an inch away from him.

A faint sound of the megaphone can be heard from a distance, and she immediately jumped out of her seat. "Oppa, I think they're calling us. We should probably go back." She said as she hurried towards the mountain trail leading back to the rest of the crew. She knew she was being a coward, but she was too afraid to stay.

She was already near the edge of the small clearing when his voice stopped her. "Neo."

There were rushed footsteps from behind and soon, his hand was on her shoulder. It lingered there for a while, before it slid down her arm and clutched the hem of her jacket sleeve. "Don't shut me out, not just yet. Not until I figured this out." His voice was shaky and she felt his hand tighten its grip on her cuffs. "It's just that meeting you again like this, then working with you. I'm not sure what to do right now...with you. With us."

"Just give me a bit more time and I swear I'll get my act together. I'll be the Seongsaenim you knew before, unless you don't want that. Then I'll just stick to business. I won't even call—"

"Don't Oppa"

Something about what he said flustered her. She was going to run away—had already made the decision to—but every word he uttered with his quaking voice felt like chains holding her down. That's when she knew that no matter what she'll do, she'll only find herself running back to him. So she gathered all the courage she had left to turn around and face his anxious face. "Don't stop calling. I like it when you call. Also, you don't have to be my songsaennim anymore. You can just be you."

She turned back to the trail and walked ahead with more confidence than she actually felt, not sure what exactly it is that she's doing. Still, since she's made her decision to stay, she's going to see this through until the end. It doesn't matter if he'll never feel the same way that she does for him, but at least she'll make him see that she has already grown up.

She'll prove to him that she's no longer a child.


End file.
